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Whitepaper – Time to seize the connected future

TNS Global

Time to seize the connected future

In a study carried out by Kantar TNS jointly with BearingPoint Institute new connected-car owners expressed their delight at the features within their vehicles – whether GPS navigation, parking assistance, emergency call or streamed infotainment content. They said they value these features, and used them as criteria when buying a new car. This is good news for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), many of which have invested in developing new capabilities in software and connectivity.

Yet we also found that – today at least – many OEMs have more work to do before they can seize the full opportunity of connected cars. Four out of ten owners don’t even know their car is connected and many of the rest are slow to adopt the features on offer. If OEMs are not careful, they could lose the opportunity to faster and smarter digital native new entrants.

In this report, we outline a way ahead for OEMs. One priority above all stands out: making customers aware of the benefits of their car’s connected features – on which they may currently be missing out. We recommend that brands focus on a range of key initiatives – intuitive and impactful technology, targeted marketing activity and enhancement of customer on-boarding and support – to educate a new wave of connected-car owners about the benefits of the features on offer. Above all, seizing the opportunity is as much about building strong relationships with consumers as it is about creating technology.